Soil Texture Explains Soil Sensitivity to C and N Losses from Whole-Tree Harvesting in the Boreal Forest

IF 2.9 Q2 SOIL SCIENCE

Soil Systems Pub Date : 2023-04-18 DOI:10.3390/soilsystems7020039

R. Ouimet, N. Korboulewsky, I. Bilger

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Abstract

The use of forest biomass to produce energy is increasingly viewed as a means to reduce fossil fuel consumption and mitigate global warming. However, the impact of such practices on soils in the long term is not well known. We revisited forest plots that were subjected to either whole-tree (WTH, n = 86) or stem-only (SOH, n = 110) harvesting 30 years ago in the boreal forest in Quebec, Canada. The objective of the present study was to find soil properties that could explain the lower soil C and N stocks at the sites subjected to WTH compared to SOH after 30 years. Compared to SOH, lower soil C and N stocks attributable to WTH occurred when soil particle content <20 µm was below 30%. The theoretical separation of soil organic matter into two fractions according to soil particle content <20 µm—a recalcitrant and a labile fraction—could explain the observed pattern of soil C and N differences between WTH and SOH. Imperfect or poor soil drainage conditions were also associated with lower soil C and N in WTH compared to SOH. Limiting additional biomass harvesting from these sites would help to preserve soil C and N from potential losses.

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土壤质地解释了土壤对北方针叶林整树采伐造成的碳氮损失的敏感性

利用森林生物质生产能源越来越被视为减少化石燃料消耗和缓解全球变暖的一种手段。然而，这种做法对土壤的长期影响尚不清楚。我们重访了30年前在加拿大魁北克的北方森林中进行整棵树（WTH，n=86）或纯茎（SOH，n=110）采伐的林地。本研究的目的是寻找土壤性质，以解释30年后，与SOH相比，WTH处理场地的土壤碳和氮储量较低。与SOH相比，当土壤颗粒含量<20µm低于30%时，可归因于WTH的土壤碳和氮储量较低。根据土壤颗粒含量<20µm，土壤有机质理论上分为两个组分——一个是难降解组分，一个是不稳定组分——可以解释WTH和SOH之间观察到的土壤C和N差异模式。与SOH相比，土壤排水条件不完善或较差也与WTH中较低的土壤C和N有关。限制从这些地点额外收获生物量将有助于保护土壤碳和氮免受潜在损失。

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